Using the Catalog

The homepage will allow you to search any PINES participating library or libraries.

Search Options

You can select to search by:

Keyword—finds the terms you enter anywhere in the entire record for an item, including title, author, subject, and other information.

Title—finds the terms you enter in the title of an item.

Author—finds the terms you enter in the author of an item.

Subject—finds the terms you enter in the subject of an item. Subjects are categories assigned to items according to a system such as the Library of Congress Subject Headings.

Series—finds the terms you enter in the title of a multi-part series.

Formats

You can limit your search by format: Audiobooks (books read aloud on CDs or other media),Books, Computer File (databases or other resources available electronically in the library or online), DVD/Video (VHS tapes, DVDs, and other media), Kits, Maps, Music (music on CD or other media), Other Formats, or Scores/Sheet Music.

Libraries

You can also limit your search by library. If you are using the catalog in a library building, it will default to search the current location. You have the option to change to search PINES (searches all PINES library locations at once), a regional library system (there are 53 library systems in PINES, some are single-county and some are multi-county), or a specific library branch. If you are searching the catalog from home or another location outside the library, you may wish to choose your branch so that you can quickly see what’s available locally.

Search Results

The search results are a list of relevant works from the catalog. Here’s an example:

Editions and Formats

These results show groups of related titles, which may include several editions and formats. The item type is designated by the icon under each title for each entry. If there are many results, they’re divided into several pages. At the bottom of each list is the total number of results. You are able to go back and forth between pages to see more results.

Related Subjects, Authors, and Series

On the left of the item record you will see a list, entitled ‘narrow your search’. This is a list of authors, subjects, series title, and places that will relate to your item search. Selecting one of these links searches the catalog again using that subject, author, or series to find additional items.

Availability

The number of available copies and total copies is displayed below the title on each record. Depending on whether you’ve selected a particular library, you may see the results for the branch, the consortium (all of PINES), and any intermediate groupings of your libraries.

Holds and Lists

An item can be reserved by placing a hold on it from the link to right of the record. This title can also be added to the individual patron list.